Category: Woodpackers and Barbets

The Golden-naped Barbet (Megalaima pulcherrima) is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

The Bornean Barbet (Megalaima eximia) is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

The Mountain Barbet (Megalaima monticola) is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in Indonesia and Malaysia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.

The Greater Flameback (Chrysocolaptes lucidus) also known as Greater Goldenback, Large Golden-backed Woodpecker or Malherbe’s Golden-backed Woodpecker, is a woodpecker species. It occurs widely in tropical Asia, from the Indian subcontinent eastwards to Indonesia and the Philippines.

The Rufous Piculet (Sasia abnormis) is a species of bird in the Picidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This species is one of the world’s smallest woodpeckers and is the smallest woodpecker found outside of the Americas. In this species the length can range from 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) and the average body mass is around 9.2 g (0.32 oz)

The Coppersmith Barbet, Crimson-breasted Barbet or Coppersmith (Megalaima haemacephala), is a bird with crimson forehead and throat which is best known for its metronomic call that has been likened to a a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. It is a resident found in South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia. Like other barbets, they chisel out a hole inside a tree to build their nest. They are mainly fruit eating but will take insects. Throughout their wide range they are found in gardens, groves and sparse woodland. Pair at Nest in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. In Kolkata, West Bengal, India. In Kolkata, West Bengal, India.Bathing in the rain in Kolkata, West Bengal, India.

Behaviour and ecology

Keeps solitary, pairs, or small groups; larger parties occasionally on abundantly fruiting Ficus trees. Fond of sunning themselves in the morning on bare top branches of tall trees, often flitting about to sit next to each other. The flight is straight, with rapid flaps.

They compete with other cavity nesting birds and frugivores. Megalaima asiatica have been noted to evict them from their nest holes, while Red-vented Bulbuls have been seen to indulge in kleptoparasitism, pirating berries that the males bring to the female at the nest.

Vocalization

The call is a loud rather metallic tuk?tuk?tuk (or tunk), reminiscent of a copper sheet being beaten, giving the bird its name. Repeated monotonously for long periods, starting with a subdued tuk and building up to an even volume and tempo, the latter varying from 1.5 to 2 per second.

The beak remains shut during each call – a patch of bare skin on both sides of the throat inflates and collapses with each tuk like a rubber bulb, with much body and tail shaking. Not very vocal in cold weather – a spell of rain or cold immediately silences them, but it is “one of India’s most familiar sounds in the hot season”.

Diet

Prefers Banyan, Peepul, and other wild figs, various drupes and berries, and the occasional insect, caught in aerial sallies.Petals of flowers may also be included in their diet. They eat nearly 1.5 to nearly 3 times their body weight in berries each day.[edit] Breeding

They breed through much of the year with local variations. Both sexes excavate the nest on the underside of a narrow horizontal branch. They may also roost inside the nest holes. Three or four eggs are laid and the incubation period is not known. The main nesting season is February to April, prior to the Monsoons but later in southern India and Sri Lanka. Multiple broods may be raised.

Mortality factors

Adult birds are sometimes taken by predatory species. In urban areas, there are records of collisions with structures including white walls. Pesticide poisoning has also been noted.

The Gold-whiskered Barbet (Megalaima chrysopogon), a near passerine bird from Southeast Asia, is a species of Asian Barbet. Like those species referred to by the common name “toucan”, the Gold-whiskered Barbet is in the Ramphastidae family.At 24 to 30 centimeters in length and weighing from 110 to 181 grams, the Gold-whiskered Barbet is one of the largest of the sixteen species of barbets in Southeast Asia. Their green overall plumage and yellow “whiskered” cheeks camouflages them amid the foliage they favor. Genders are similar in appearance but do display a small degree of sexual dichromatism in that the beaks of female specimens appear paler and have a dusky bluish color. Before reaching maturity birds of both sexes have duller overall plumage.

Habit and Diet

This bird spends most of the day singing and foraging for food in the forest canopy. Otherwise well camouflaged, their rapid and extraordinary loud “tehoop-tehoop-tehoop-tehoop” call often betrays their presence.

Gold-whiskered Barbets are frugivores that gorge themselves on berries, figs, and any edible fruits they can find. What a glutton he was to possessively grab a chunk of the succulent fruit with his left claw; clung on the tree trunk with his right footed zygodactylous toes and demolishing another chunk of fleshy papaya breakfast in his honky beak…too engrossed in protecting his treasure trove of ripe and succulent papayas ?spoilt for choice to take much notice of me…Having had his fill, the barbet did not fly away but stayed around the tree to engage in sentry duties under shade of a spoke like foliage…Occasionally, he would return for a symbolic peck and indulgence of the fruits. At other times, would fly to his shady, staging area for a quick snooze as expressed by his nictitating membrane, at the same time trying hard to possessively stay awake to watch his fruits…(he was also) seen to hastily chase off his mate. No other fruit eating species of smaller birds present around dared or were allowed to perch on the same tree…

According to the same report, the Gold-whiskered Barbet is selective in its choice of fruits upon which to feed and did not bother to peck on intact ripening fruits when there were better fresh choices to be had.[3] Also partially insectivorous, the Gold-whiskered Barbet eats flying termites and has been observed digging into dead wood searching for food. It also feeds on seeds and even lizards and small bird like Eurasian tree Sparrow.

Breeding season for the Gold-whiskered Barbet is from February to August. Their rounded, white eggs are laid two per clutch.

Range

The Gold-whiskered Barbet is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Borneo and Sumatra. Habitat

Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montanes.They are found in lowland foothills and tall second growth forests but are rare in evergreen forests and swamp forests. The Gold-whiskered Barbet can also found be found on cocoa plantations.

The Yellow-crowned Barbet (Megalaima henricii) is a species of bird in the Ramphastidae family. It is found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical swamps. It is threatened by habitat loss.